Salvadoran-isms

Image adapted from an image by: Shared-Interest.com

My friend, Alexandra of Good Day Regular People, recently wrote about “Colombian-isms” – I loved her hilarious post (check it out!) and she encouraged me to write my own post of “Salvadoran-isms” – So here I am. I have to say though, Salvadoran slang could fill a book thicker than War & Peace. It seems like every other word out of your average Salvadoran’s mouth is unique to El Salvador or the Caliche of Central America. That being said, here are a handful of random highlights to amuse you.

Puchica! – This is perhaps the most Salvadoran word of all. Use this exclamation anywhere you would usually use “Wow, Holy cow, Geez!”

Cipote/Cipota – This word means “child.” Like a lot of Salvadoran slang, this word comes from the native Nahuatl. There is even a beloved Salvadoran folk character named Cipitío – a boy who wears a really big sombrero and has backwards feet as well as a big round belly. He is the result of a forbidden love affair between other folk characters and for some reason he eats ashes and bananas.

Cabal/Cabalito – Means “Exactly.” This can be used when you agree with something and you’re saying, “Yes, that’s it exactly!” or when trying on a pair of shoes that fit perfectly.

Paloma – Although this word usually means “dove” in Spanish, this is also commonly used slang for “penis” in El Salvador… I never found out how that happened, but it must be a fascinating story. (And for this reason, you won’t meet many Salvadoran women named Paloma.)

Fíjate -or- Fíjese – This word is kind of like, “Look,” or “Look here”, “Listen,” – I read once on a blog by a Peace Corp. volunteer in El Salvador that nothing good ever follows this word. I found that hilarious and very true. Example: “Fíjate, el dinero que me diste por pagar la renta, tuve que usar por comprar algo para el cumple de mi novia.” (Look, the money you gave me to pay the rent, I had to use to buy a birthday gift for my girlfriend.)

Más vale amistad perdida, que una tripa retorcida. – “Better to have a lost friendship than a twisted gut.” This is said when one really needs to pass gas and they let it rip. Lovely, right?

Hay pericos en la milpa. – “There are parakeets in the corn field.” Use this to alert someone to watch what they say because others might be listening.

Machete estate en tu vaina. – “Machete stay in your sheath.” Meaning it’s better not to get involved or it’s better to mind your business so you don’t come into problems.

Vaya pues – “Okay, then. That’s fine. It’s all good.” My suegra is known for saying this on the phone before hanging up. She rarely says a proper goodbye, just “Vaya pues” – CLICK.

… Vaya pues.

_______________

What Salvadoran-isms would you add to the list? If your roots are from elsewhere in Latin America, give me your Mexican-isms, Venezuelan-isms, Cuban-isms, or whatever other “-isms” you have from anywhere in the world.

This list is great – You should have seen the look on my friend’s face when I started to use Salvadorian slang when speaking with him. He asked me, “Where did you learn that?!” I told him, “I have the internet!”

This is sort of a crossover between Colombianisms & Salvadoranisms, but a Colombian friend had an unfortunate habit of referring to Salvadorans [in a very classist way] as “Vaya pues” – or, to put it phonetically, Bah-Pways.

Also wondering about the exclamations – more phonetic spelling here, my Spanish is oral rather than written – Kee-ho-lay! or Ee-ho-lay! which Sr. Wonderful uses regularly, but I have no idea what the literal translation is.

Lol i have said all of this at one point, but I think u missed one of the biggest ones, vos, haha when i went to el salvador a few months ago I bought a shirt thats says “sabes que eres salvadoreño sí hablas así” I don’t have the shirt in front of me but it says something like that and there are so many phrases on it, words that salvadoreans use, its really funny.

My husband and is family are really ‘malcreados’ when it comes to their ‘isms’. My husband’s favorite is ‘coma mierda’ or ‘eat shit’. Another one I hear a lot is ‘chuco/a’. Like ‘Tu cara esta toda chuca’ or ‘Your face is all dirty’.

Good start, but don’t forget “pisto” or “plata” referring to money; “bicho” referring to kids instead of insects; “trucho” for being smart or wise; “llevate a cucucho/tutucho” for sitting on one’s shoulders.

Hi Eddie! Where did you learn Spanish? Are most of your friends Salvadoran or Central American? … A lot of Salvadoran slang is used throughout Central America. A couple of these may be used in other countries but not necessarily with the same exact meaning.

Great work! It’s interesting as my daughters often asked me for some of those words and from time to time I could not proper respond. Thanks for your effort sharing with us some of our background history

Don’t forget “pego ginda” which means to run away. Also “talegon” which means “nice”. Pastelero means to flirt a lot. Chichipate and bolo is refer to a drunk guy. Lio means a problem.” Renco”which means ” limping.” Tetelque means not ripen. Amasar means to hug and kiss. Devanar means to get beaten. Fundillo means the ass or buttom. Utualito means right now. Pijaso o talegaso means to hit with the fist.

When I was young I remember lining up for the bus in El Salvador. I was about 10 years old at the time and it was my first visit back since I left for Australia when I was two and a half. I remember lining up and noticed people shoving to get in so I thought, “Hey, why not?”. As I began to shove, I didn’t realise I had shoved a pregnant lady…suddenly out of the blue a rather plus sized, middle-aged street vendor lady pops out and says, “Bicho estupido! No ves que esta preñada?! Bicho pendejo cabron, cerote, coma mierda hijueputa!” I turned to my brother behind me in awe because I had never heard so much profanity stringed together in one breath to which he replied with a cool grin on his face, “Welcome to El Salvador little bro”. I’ll never forget that day.

Now the languaje of FB use in a popular group of America Central or Central America (Xd I dont know how do say that word anyway) that is SDLG that is an acrnomyc nah something like that that means (Seguidores De La Grasa) in english would be like this: (Followers Of The Oily) (I DONT KNOW i dont want haters I traslate the most i can do)

SDLG is a FB group that upload hilarus photos, conversacion and much but much much hilarus content

His languaje its complicate to understand because you have to know medium spanish to understand what are they saying

Papu: Means “brother” but with your friends or mates for example: Hey whats up brother like that

Like this: Ey papu que tal

Elfa: Means girl but the informal way in that group

Like this: Elfa vuelve a la cocina :v

:v : this is the pac-man we use :v when we are joking or just because yes :v

Like this: Ste men :v

Ste men: means “dis dude :v” like that or can be “dat dude” in spanish Ese men :v

Like this: Ste men se paso de la raya :v

Jeje its difficult to explain you the words that we use here but i hope that this words help with your voabulary.

There are many words missing, I’m obligued to contribute.
Chulon to be naked.
Chele a fair skined person.
Chancho a pig, used to describe a dirty or corrupt person.
Chichuda a big breasted woman.
Chiquirin the anus.
Cho a harsh way to ask for silence.
Choco a blind person, used in a playfull way to describe some one who wears glasses.
Chicote a Beattle.
Chino a person with little body hair.
Cheta a fowl way of saying spit.
Charros be ware of someone or something.
Chambon clumsy.
Chingaste ground coffe, broken potery or glass.
Chancaca a nearly black confiture used as a nickname for some one who is fat and dark skined.
Chibola a marble, common name for soda pop, originated from the marbles used to plug soda pop in olden times.
Cholero a servant, a downgrading way to address a servile individual.
Chacalele the heart.
Chumbulun or chumbulus the noice an object makes wen it hits water.
Chabacan someone uncouth.
Chero a friend actually a galicizm from the word cheri meaning beloved.
Chaneque a spy or someone infiltrated.
Chenga usually and old tortilla.
Chafa something of low quality.
Chafarote a disdainful way to describe a military officer.
Chance an opotunity, an anglisizm.
Chumpe a turkey, used to describe someone who is no bright.
Chaparro moonshine, it is now marketed legally in El Salvador.
Chota, La the police
Choto, de for free
Chotear to wonder around.
The former letter “Ch” deserves full pages dedicated to it.
Carmelo, the gentleman who visits your wife while you’re away, its English equivalent being Jody.
Tacuche a suit.
Rieles shoes.
Potros pants.
Tetunte a big rock, used to describe the head.
Tenamaste an even bigger rock to describe an even bigger head.
Cuilio a police man or someone with an erection.
Cueviar to fondle.
Calmantes montes chill, relax.
Pajuil dumb.
Cambalache an exchange of goods.
Cachada stollen merchandise for sale a low price.
Mono a monkey, used to say child.

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